Public Input Sought on Rogers Bridge Canoe Ramp

In conjunction with the National Park Service, the City of Duluth will sponsor a public information Open House Thursday, April 14, on upgrading the existing river access facility at Rogers Bridge Park. Two alternatives have been proposed to provide park visitors with an improved access point to the Chattahoochee River and an easier way to launch small boats, canoes and rafts.

“The public is invited to attend this open house and provide feedback on the proposed alternatives,” said Duluth Parks and Recreation Department Director Kathy Marelle. The upgraded facility would “enhance visitor use, experience, and safety” at Rogers Bridge Park, according to Marelle. The open house is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m., at Bunten Road Park, 3180 Bunten Road, in Duluth. 

Posters showing two action alternatives for pedestrian access to the river will be displayed at the open house. One alternative is a step-down concrete canoe ramp. The second alternative is a concrete canoe ramp with an adjacent boardwalk and viewing platform. No vehicular access to the ramp is being proposed. The existing ramp is approximately 250 feet from the recently opened Chattahoochee River Overlook in Rogers Bridge Park between the overlook and Rogers Bridge. A third alternative, the "no action alternative," will also be evaluated. Under this alternative there would be no improvements to the existing river access facility, and conditions would remain the same.

The river access facility lies within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, which is under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The public input obtained at the open house will be used during the environmental assessment process to select a preferred alternative.